Sunday, July 30, 2006

Section 43A. (a) Whoever willfully and maliciously engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or series of acts over a period of time directed at a specific person, which seriously alarms that person and would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, shall be guilty of the crime of criminal harassment and shall be punished by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Such conduct or acts described in this paragraph shall include, but not be limited to, conduct or acts conducted by mail or by use of a telephonic or telecommunication device including, but not limited to, electronic mail, internet communications or facsimile communications.

I am currently looking into allegations that some of our opponents are in violation of this and other laws geared to protect the gay community from hate. I will update this thread as information becomes available.

I would say that Kris Mineau's need to hire Arno Political Consultants to help them gather names shows two things about his organization. They knew they had neither the backing of the public to give their signatures fairly, nor the manpower to even collect signatures properly. I suspect we are talking about a very small but furiously active group of people that include Article 8, Mass Resistance, and Massachusetts Family Institute. I don't believe there is any level of duplicity that this group will not stoop to.

Consider some facts for me:

1. No one hires Arno Political Consultants without knowing about their past record of signature fraud. At the Election Committee Hearing last year Kris Mineau's group preemptively attacked Angela McElroy's character. She testified that she was taught by her boss at Arno Political Consultants how to gather fraudulent signatures by lying to people what the petition was for. I believe the attack on her character was an attempt to discredit her testimony and flies in the face of her obvious truths. She did a piece for Fox 25 News that you can watch from the main KnowThyNeighbor.org (aka KTN) site.

2. If you hire someone to help you that is known to create fraud, you obviously don't care about the fraud they are about to create on your behalf.

3. There has to be a logical reason why you would resort to fraud, and that reason would most likely be that you could not have gathered the signatures legitimately.

4. If you cannot collect the necessary signatures because you do not have the manpower, it shows you do not have much support. This is something they desperately want to keep from the public.

5. If the public perceives there is popular support for a cause it will create a "band wagon" effect, and more people will support that cause. The opposite effect is also true. If a group is too small its size hinders recruitment.

6. KTN was destined to expose the fraud being created, that is why it was important to discredit them. The opposition no doubt has read The Art of War, and make an attempt to discredit KTN before the website was even up, saying that posting people’s names was intimidation. We have learned from Carl Rove that misinformation can keep a lie afloat a long time, and is a valuable resource for the people dishonest enough to use it.

7. By sending opponent bloggers to the KTN blog dedicated to repeating the mantra of the Massachusetts Family Institute, (posting the names of people who signed the petition is intimidation) they have accidentally exposed their Achilles heel. By fraudulently posting as many different people they have drawn attention to why this dishonesty would be necessary. The law of Ockham's razor would dictate the most obvious to be true; they lack the manpower to do the job properly.

I speculate that this state is being held hostage by a small handful of people who are virulently against not only gay marriage, but the gay community in general. I believe they have deep pockets that are being filled by sources outside of Massachusetts, and the outside groups have a vested interest in stopping gay marriage here in Massachusetts before it spreads to their states and towns. Who are these people? Most likely they are religious organizations bent on making sure gay marriage does not impact their cash flow. God is big business, and this is about as ugly as the lobbying of big tobacco.

The organized opposition to gay marriage in Massachusetts is the true group that has no concern for the public, and the damage their hate has already rendered is testimony to that truth. They have proven themselves dishonest and willing to lie on top of a lie in order to keep their web of deceit woven.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

The signature gathering for the anti-gay marriage petition has been under a criminal investigation. Although the petition was certified by the Attorney General's office and the ability to move forward in the legislature has been granted by the SJC, the criminal investigation of how those signatures were gathered still continues. That is because Arno Political Consultants were hired to "help" gather signatures, and they use real criminals to do their dirty work. They collect signatures by any means necessary, including lies. Their incentive was great, a dollar or more PER SIGNATURE. When pressed by Senator Augustine, Chairman of the Election Committee to explain how many signature gatherers Kris Mineau had that were actual citizens of the Commonwealth he reluctantly responded, "About five." This is one of the main reasons that this vote should not go forward, because the signatures were not gathered properly. We will never know if this was the will of the people of this state thanks to the duplicity of the "Moral Majority".

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

I have been having conversations with the new personalities that have manifested themselves on the KnowThyNeighbor.org blog, and although there are new names, it is the same old game. They come there on the attack immediately picking fights, and when the regular bloggers fight back, our defensive actions are "spun" into an offensive assault.

Tony is our new resident hater, but he has feelings and doesn't like it when people make fun of him. Back in his first post ever on the blog he managed to squeeze in 14 insults that I counted, a new record for a first timer. He goes on, and on, and on, and then wonders why we don't want to talk to him in a respectful back and forth dialog. I realize that I advocate being kind and understanding in order to lower the walls and get something accomplished between the two opposing sides, but I can't sit back idle while someone is as verbally abusive as Tony is. Perhaps I should have been the bigger man, but his unnecessary attacks seem to warrant a counter offensive. My real concern is making sure we don't let our anger take us over the edge, lest we be perceived no different than our opposition by the neutral masses that in the end will swing the vote in our direction. We have to fight ignorance with information, and hatred with love. Once again I am going to try to put on my "happy face" and go deal with those who want to call my very existence a threat to society. Tried in the courts of popular opinion and convicted although no crime has been perpetrated, we as the gay community will not sit quietly as the world pretends not to see the injustice.

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." ~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

PollingPoint.com:A majority of PollingPoint respondents (54%) feel that homosexual behavior is not morally wrong, compared to 39% of you who do think it is morally wrong. Fifty percent of you believe gay couples should be allowed to marry, 18% prefer civil unions and not marriage, and 31% believe there should be no legal recognition of gay couples at all.

Age seems to play an important role in determining positions on this question. While majorities of those under the age of 45 support full marriage rights for gay couples, the rest were more divided among preference for marriage, civil unions or no legal recognition. 70% of those 18 to 24 support full gay marriage.

I think I struck a nerve when I commented that the opposition is fighting a losing battle and running out of time. The next generation is about to start making itself known, and they understand well that equality is for everyone, not just those who feel morally superior.

What do you think might be eating them? Q. What percentage of American males have experienced a homosexual encounter?A. 30%

Kinsey's findings are rightfully criticized because they are not based on a probability sample, none of the participants were randomly selected; his inflated estimation of the homosexual population ought to be abandoned in favor of the most recent, controlled estimations which put the homosexual population between 1-3%. If only 3% of men are gay and 30% of them had a homosexual experience in their lives, then there must be a lot of men out there with a guilty conscience. Some of them will spend the rest of theirs lives cursing gays for the remorse they feel.

Right. So what determines whether a behavior is desirable?Here's my two cents:(1) Does the behavior harm anyone, esp. in comparison to the alternatives?(2) Does the behavior help anyone, esp. in comparison to the alternatives?

the American Psychological Association asserts that homosexual or bisexual orientations are not a mental illness, and therefore that it is inapropriate to treat them as such.

One of the most notorious perpetuators of anti-gay myths is former member of the American Psychological Association Paul Cameron. Cameron was expelled from the American Psychological Association in May 1982 for severely flawed research; he was subsequently put under investigation by the American Sociological Association for unethical conduct [6]. The ASA concluded in a 1985 publication that Cameron

has consistently misinterpreted and mispresented sociological research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism. ... has repeated campaigned for the abrogation of the civil rights of lesbians and gay men, substantiating his call on the basis of his distorted interpretation of this research [7] Paul Cameron has since founded the Family Research Institute in 1982 with the intention to "generate empirical research on issues that threaten the traditional family, particularly homosexuality, AIDS, sexual social policy, and drug abuse" [8]. Cameron is responsible for some of the most bizarre myths about homosexuals, including the myth that 44% of mass murderers are homosexuals and that 2/3 of gay men "ingest a biologically significant amount of feces" [9].

"Homosexuals are more likely to be pedophiles"This myth derives from the tendency of communities to stereotype disliked minorities as dangers to the majority, it is reminiscent of the myth that the majority of rapes are assaults on white women by black men [10] and a myth in the Middle Ages that Jews were routinely kidnapping and crucifying Christian children [11].

The myth that homosexuals are pedophiles is published by Paul Cameron's group, in which they concluded that 1/3 of all child molestations are caused by 1-3% of the population (homosexuals) [12]. Many similar myths are reported in a "study" called Fag Facts: Fags live filthy, unhealty, dangerous, unhappy, and in many cases, violent lives.

In short, Cameron's methodology is significantly problematic:

the assumption that all male-male molestations are committed by homosexuals without assessing the actual orientation of the sex offenders. If the sex offended committed an act against a child of the same sex, that offender was, by Cameron's definition, a homosexual [13]. the assumption that molestation is motivated by sexual arousal. According to therapist Joe Kort: Herek points out that child molestation and child sexual abuse refer to "actions," without implying any "particular psychological makeup or motive on the part of the perpetrator." In other words, not all incidents of child sexual abuse are perpetrated by pedophiles. Pedophilia can be viewed as a kind of sexual fetish, wherein the person requires the mental image of a child--not necessarily a flesh-and-blood child--to achieve sexual gratification. Rarely does a pedophile experience sexual desire for adults of either gender. They usually don't identify as homosexualÃthe majority identify as heterosexual, even those who abuse children of the same gender. They are sexually aroused by youth, not by gender. In contrast, child molesters often exert power and control over children in an effort to dominate them. They do experience sexual desire for adults, but molest children episodically, for reasons apart from sexual desire, much as rapists enjoy power, violence and controlling their humiliated victims. [14] In contrast to Cameron's claims, almost all methodologically sound studies independently confirm that homosexuals are no more likely to abuse children than heterosexuals:

Are children at risk for sexual abuse by homosexuals? (1994), by Carol Jenny et al analyzes 269 children from a child sexual abuse clinic at a regional children's hospital. Of the 219 abused girls, only one instance of abuse had been attributed to a lesbian. Of the 50 abused boys, only one instance of abuse had been attributed to a gay man. The study concludes: Using the data from our study, the 95% confidence limits, of the risk children would identify recognizably homosexual adults as the potential abuser, are from 0% to 3.1%. These limits are within current estimates of the prevalence of homosexuality in the general community Adult sexual orientation and attraction to underage persons (1978), by A. Nicholas Groth compares the sexual orientation of 175 randomly selected sex offenders against the gender of their victims. While young girls were victimized twice as often as young boys, there were no examples of sex offenders who were homosexual in orientation. The study concludes: The possibility emerges that homosexuality and homosexual pedophilia may be mutually exclusive and that the adult heterosexual male constitutes a greater risk to the underage child than does the adult homosexual male. [edit]"Gays live 30 to 40 years fewer than heterosexuals"Anti-gay researcher Paul Cameron deduced from his study called "Gay obituaries closely track officially reported deaths from AIDS" that the average lifespans of homosexuals was shortened by up to three decades than of average heterosexuals [15]. The methodology of the study is explained as follows:

The age distribution of AIDS deaths of males who have sex with males [MSM] was estimated from obituaries in the Washington Blade, a gay newspaper. Statistics from the 2003 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Supplemental Report are highly congruent with deaths of MSM due to AIDS from these obituaries. [ibid.] Cameron says his sample of gays is gathered from more than 10,000 obituaries collected from gay publications all over the United States [16]; in other words, Cameron's studies are based on a convenience sample of homosexual deaths, not a probability sample.

A sampling of homosexuals who die of AIDS based on newspaper obituaries is not an adequate sample to make generalizations of an entire population. Newspapers and magazines do not publish randomly selected obituaries, and submitted obituaries do not come from randomly selected families; among those excluded from this kind of sampling [17]:

Any homosexual whose family who does not submit an obituary to a newspaper Any homosexual who was in the closet about their homosexuality Any homosexual who kept their homosexuality a secret from their family Any homosexual who did not have a family to submit an obituary Any homosexual whose obituary do not include a cause of death Any homosexual whose obituary is not published by an editor. Editors are selective about the obituaries they publish, they may not include individuals who were not prominent in the community. Community newspapers may tend to overwhelmingly report deaths due to AIDS than other causes Cameron's study is so fatally methodologically flawed that it is essentially worthless as an estimation of the life expectancy of gays and lesbians. By the same "methodology", one could just as easily deduce that lesbians are 300 time more likely to die in car crashes than females in general [18].

Note: I've been searching for a good abstract on the life expectancy of homosexuals and lesbians on google, but all I've been able to find are sites repeating Cameron's "research". I think it would be important to include real statistics along side the myth. --Yahweh 06:14, 26 November 2005 (GMT) [edit]AIDS is a gay diseaseWhile it is true that the majority of people with AIDS in North America and Europe are males who are either exclusively or predominantly homosexual, a large percentage of AIDS victims in North America and Europe became infected with HIV through heterosexual contact, the sharing of infected needles, or (in the early days of AIDS) blood transfusions.

1. There is enough proof to give the benefit of the doubt to gays when they say they are not gay by choice. 2. Since being gay is not a crime we should not deny people rights based soley on that fact.3. There are many different cultures and religions that are both for and against homosexuality. The conflict of religious beliefs is resolved by allowing people to think and practice what religion they choose.4. The pursuit of hapiness is an inalienable right.5. Gay marriage in no way reduces or restricts the right of someone who does not wish to practice it.6. Stating that gay marriage will cause social degridation is speculation, and has not been made evident in Massachusetts even after two years and thousands of marriages. This is also a double standard since heterosexual couples are not scrutinized as to whether their union will harm the public.7. If the SJC was hijacked and their ruling invalid, where are the lawyers?8. Voting on the rights of a minority group is unconstitutional in spirit. No group's rights were ever to become so great as to be able to dictate the rights of the minority class. Thomas Jefferson, in his 1st inaugural address in 1801 said, "Although the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable. The minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression".

Friday, July 21, 2006

The Boston Police Department is refusing to state publicly whether there’s a link between two recent murders, one in the South End in April and the other in the Fenway last weekend, but it is said to be investigating the possibility. Both deaths resulted from blunt force trauma.

Police said July 17 that the death of William Taylor, 66, who was found July 15 in his second-floor apartment at 15 Park Drive, has been ruled a homicide, the city’s 40th this year. Officer Michael McCarthy, a police spokesperson, said an autopsy showed that Taylor died of blunt force trauma.

Another man, David Hall, 43, was found beaten to death in his East Berkeley Street apartment April 7. Hall’s mother told the Boston Globe at the time that police had to identify her son through dental records, because his body was too battered to easily identify. That death also was ruled a homicide, police have reported.

According to members of the gay community, Hall was last seen leaving the Eagle, a gay bar on Tremont Street not far from his apartment, hours before his body was discovered.

On July 18, the Globe reported that police sources said there may be a link, but McCarthy told EDGE that he could not comment on an ongoing investigation. "I don’t know where the Globe reporter got the information that they are related," McCarthy said. "I can tell you that as crimes like this occur homicide investigators are always mindful of potential similarities. If similarities exist they would be the subject of a comprehensive investigation."

Building residents told the Globe that police have visited the Park Drive apartment since Taylor’s body was found and have canvassed the area, asking neighbors whether they saw or heard anything unusual. Residents said police have suggested the crime was not a random break-in. Video cameras cover the building’s front and rear entrances and police are said to be examining videotapes to determine if any strangers entered the building in the time immediately before Taylor’s body was discovered.

Benjamin Perkins, director of The Men’s Action Life Empowerment Center, a gay resource center in the South End affiliated with the AIDS Action Committee, told EDGE in a telephone interview that such incidents should motivate gay men to be more cautious.

"I think there’s always going to be some concern, especially if based on what we hear from the Boston police, if there’s some connection that will heighten the concern."Asked whether he believes the gay community is nervous, Perkins replied, "I think there’s always going to be some concern, especially if based on what we hear from the Boston police, if there’s some connection that will heighten the concern. It’s often very easy when nothing does happen to sort of not think about it, so this bursts the bubble of safety that many of us may have."

Perkins added that many in the gay community are on vacation at this time of year, so it’s hard to determine the degree of concern. "If this had happened in the fall or winter, it probably would be easier to get a gauge on what people are thinking."

Emily Pitt, director of the Violence Recovery Program, a gay counseling center that is part of the Fenway Community Health Center, told the Globe that when violence happens in the gay community, everyone feels at risk. "People feel, ’It could have happened to me,’ usually because it could have," Pitt said.

In a telephone interview July 18, Pitt told EDGE it’s hard to say whether there’s a specific increase in violence against gay men in Boston. "We have heard subjective reports but I don’t have any documentation," she explained.

Pitt added that her office compiles anti-gay hate-crime data annually and that she will not have a 2006 report until the end of the year. She did report a 30 percent increase in such crimes in 2004, a figure that remained unchanged in 2005. In 2004, the Violence Recovery Program saw spikes in hate crimes in February and March, when anti-gay rhetoric was on the increase because of the gay marriage debate during the state Constitutional Convention. "When there is a lot of antigay rhetoric, the rate of violence does go up," she pointed out.

The AAC’s Perkins told EDGE there are steps members of the gay community should take to deter the possibility of violence, especially in Internet dating. In workshops, he emphasizes "making sure that you let someone know where you’re going and meet people in a public place." Talking to a potential date on the phone first also helps one assess the situation, he said.

Perkins cautioned about the role alcohol plays in impairing judgment. "If you’re out in a club and have had too much to drink, look at whether that lowers your inhibitions," he counseled. "Be a little cautious. Whether there is someone out there inflicting violence or not, these are things that should be second nature."

Monday, July 17, 2006

Here is a quick post that I would like all to consider. Let us say for argument's sake that gay marriage is defeated by popular vote in 2008. The opponents of gay marriage keep telling us that those who are already married can keep their marriages, the petition is designed only to prevent anyone in the future from getting married to the same sex. This is all in the name of protecting society, family values, the children, and the institution of marriage. Let's say for argument's sake that we agree with that position. How can we say on one hand that gay marriage is so dangerous that even the most benevolent of our society cannot handle the responsibility, but then say we are going to leave several thousand of these gay marriages around anyway, just because they came first? If all gay marriages are negatively impacting society, then do you really think it is appropriate to leave any of them around? Won't this priveledged few have the same negative effect people are so worried about?

Saturday, July 15, 2006

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol and worship it instead of me.

3. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

5. Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Why is it that we can break any of these commandments... ALL of these commandments and still be afforded the equality and dignity of marriage by the United States Government, yet simply being gay is so terrible that we should deny ANYONE marriage based soley on that unchangable atribute, rather than judging their individual merits. Why must the gay community be held to a standard the heterosexual community does not hold itself to? How do the opponents of gay marriage justify their crusade without admitting they are imposing Christian values on citizens that do not wish to follow or believe them?

Friday, July 07, 2006

It seems that hard work does have its rewards. Tyler Dawbin has been making a pest of himself since the begining of KnowThyNeighbor.org, and probably a lot longer than that in other venues. He receeded from KTN several times before making it permanent, and now has decided to change his hate filled blogsite to prevent comments. I welcome the change as it weakens his voice. Everybody knows that private sites like his struggle for readership, and only those that allow comments maintain an audience. He has already made the mistake of showing other people's opinions are getting to him, and in doing so shown weakness. Now more than ever it is clear that we must fight harder and try harder, for even the oppostion's most vehement and active members have their limits. Our fight is slowly gaining ground. With every post, with every effort, there is a possibility that we will get through and change the heart of someone new... even Tyler Dawbin. We have to fight back against these false profits and educate people who are ignorant to the dangers hate spreads. My door is open to all those who would be my friend, even to Tyler, who is resistent to change his stripes. Know that your love for your partner, your indignation for being oppressed, and the voices of our friends will spread like fire until we have equality across the nation, for all people.

<<>>

Tyler has taken down his website formerly called "know thy homosexual opponent" and admitted he works for Article 8 Alliance. Baby steps towards a better world? We shall see, but it is encouraging.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

These are the Senators and representatives that voted against Marriage Equality in 2004 that are still in office. Scroll down further to see who represents you in your own home town. If anyone makes my list that has changed their vote in favor of gay marriage, contact me immediately and their name will be removed from this list. Contact me at salemmaman@gmail.com for error corrections or additions.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

A master strategist and tireless activist, Bayard Rustin is best remembered as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, one of the largest nonviolent protests ever held in the United States. He brought Gandhi’s protest techniques to the American civil rights movement, and helped mold Martin Luther King, Jr. into an international symbol of peace and nonviolence.

Despite these achievements, Rustin was silenced, threatened, arrested, beaten, imprisoned and fired from important leadership positions, largely because he was an openly gay man in a fiercely homophobic era. Five years in the making and the winner of numerous awards, BROTHER OUTSIDER presents a feature-length documentary portrait, focusing on Rustin’s activism for peace, racial equality, economic justice and human rights.

Today, the United States is still struggling with many of the issues Bayard Rustin sought to change during his long, illustrious career. His focus on civil and economic rights and his belief in peace, human rights and the dignity of all people remain as relevant today as they were in the 1950s and 60s.

Rustin’s biography is particularly important for lesbian and gay Americans, highlighting the major contributions of a gay man to ending official segregation in America. Rustin stands at the confluence of the great struggles for civil, legal and human rights by African-Americans and lesbian and gay Americans. In a nation still torn by racial hatred and violence, bigotry against homosexuals, and extraordinary divides between rich and poor, his eloquent voice is needed today.

In February 1956, when Bayard Rustin arrived in Montgomery to assist with the nascent bus boycott, Martin Luther King, Jr. had not personally embraced nonviolence. In fact, there were guns inside King’s house, and armed guards posted at his doors. Rustin persuaded boycott leaders to adopt complete nonviolence, teaching them Gandhian nonviolent direct protest.

Apart from his career as an activist, Rustin the man was also fun-loving, mischievous, artistic, gifted with a fine singing voice, and known as an art collector who sometimes found museum-quality pieces in New York City trash. Historian John D’Emilio calls Rustin the "lost prophet" of the civil rights movement.

Recommended Reading

Veteran Ben LaGuer

Let me finally return to Dwight Macdonald and the responsibility of intellectuals. Macdonald quotes an interview with a death-camp paymaster who burst into tears when told that the Russians would hang him. "Why should they? What have I done?" he asked. Macdonald concludes: "Only those who are willing to resist authority themselves when it conflicts too intolerably with their personal moral code, only they have the right to condemn the death-camp paymaster." The question, "What have I done?" is one that we may well ask ourselves, as we read each day of fresh atrocities in Vietnam—as we create, or mouth, or tolerate the deceptions that will be used to justify the next defense of freedom.

– Chomsky, The Responsibility of Intellectuals 1967

Words to Remember:

"Juris praecepta sunt haec: honeste vivere; alterum non laedere; suum cuique tribuere"(These are the precepts of the law: To live honorably; to hurt nobody; to render to every one his due.)

"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." -Section 1 of the 14th amendment to the US Constitution

Never Forgotten; Sadly Missed

Lawrence King

GLBT Legends

Paul McMahon and Ralph Hodgdon in 2007

"If you want to be important -- wonderful. If you want to be recognized -- wonderful. If you want to be great -- wonderful. But, recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness." -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Redistribution with credit and link to this website is preapproved.. Picture Window template. Powered by Blogger.